Quantifying Taste Using a Hydrodynamic Oscillator

Abstract An attempt has been made to quantify taste using a hydrodynamic oscillator. It has been argued that the hydrodynamic oscillator is an analogue of the taste buds and the amplitude of the electrical potential oscillation obtained from the hydrodynamic oscillator, using a taste stimulant, is an analogue of receptor potential. The data on electrical potential oscillations using different taste stimulants in a hydrodynamic oscillator have been obtained and subjected to fast Fourier transform (FFT) analysis. Correlations obtained between the amplitudes and the relative taste indices and concentrations appear promising and suggest that these may be used for qualitative and quantitative distinction of different taste categories.